Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad and Sambal Belacan

Name: Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 6 small deep fried tofu; ½ pineapple ((peeled and cut into chunks)); 1 green mango ((peeled and cubed)); 1 small jicama ((peeled and cubed)); 1 small cucumber ((cut into bite size pieces)); ¼ cup peanuts ((toasted and chopped)); 1 tbsp sesame seeds ((toasted)); 1 tbsp sambal belacan; 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (or sweet sauce); 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce; 1 tbsp hei ko ((sweet black shrimp paste)); 2 tbsp sugar

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · Published: 🖨 July 29, 2012 · Updated: 💻July 1, 2018 · 🗨 38 Comments

Recipe ▼

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try!

In every language there are always some unique words that convey highly expressive notions about food and cultural nuances all at once. In the Malay language, rojak fulfills this down to a T. Blessed with an abundance of tropical fruits and vegetables, Malaysians often take a variety of ingredients and mix them together into a tasty salad called Rojak. In the mind of the locals, rojak has taken upon the meaning of diverse elements and even polar opposites being blended together. As such to describe anything as rojak is to imply a jumbled mix.

The cut-fruit stall is a popular lunch time fixture where Rojak can sometimes be found. The vendor will chop up his fruits and mix it with the sweet and spicy sauce. Prior to the advent of plastic bags, it was once common for Rojak to be served up in a newsprint cone lined with banana leaves. A few bamboo skewers were included for spearing the pieces of fruit. This is the most basic form of Rojak. Specialized Rojak vendors have more elaborate ingredients that include fried tofu and crispy shrimp fritters to provide a contrast of textures and flavors.

The sweet and spicy sauce is what makes the fruit salad a Rojak. One can almost describe the taste as umami. The ingredients include Sambal Belacan (pounded shrimp paste and chili condiment), hei ko (sweet shrimp paste), sweet sauce, caramel soy sauce, and sugar. Hei ko is a very important ingredient, without which it will not have that thick caramel consistency. On this side of the world, it would be similar to a spicy chocolate sauce or mole. In fact, I made a Spicy Chocolate Rojak sometime back using extra dark chocolate as a substitute.

World on a Plate

Today is the last Sunday of the month and it is time for World on a Plate. This month’s theme “Fruity Dessert” was agreed upon way back in May and the first thing that came to my mind was Rojak. I was really excited as I knew I would be able to get hei ko this time since I had a scheduled visit to Malaysia in June. Although I have not seen hei ko being sold here in my neighborhood in recent times, it is available in the larger Asian grocery stores downtown and especially the ones on both coasts. I have purchased it once or twice in the past.

Sambal Belacan

The other very important ingredient in Rojak is Sambal Belacan, a beloved pounded chili condiment of the Nyonyas and Malays. Many such household find food bland where sambal belacan is not present. It is often served during a meal with some raw vegetables known as ulam or simply used as a dip for a myriad of dishes.

There are basically only three ingredients in Sambal Belacan – red chilies, toasted belacan (shrimp paste), and lime juice. Belacan is a cake-like shrimp paste that must be cooked and cannot be eaten raw. Always buy the best grade you can afford as a little goes a long way. Hei ko on the other hand, is a more sauce-like shrimp paste that can be eaten right out of the jar.

Sambal Belacan can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until needed. It is best consumed within 2 to 3 days. Please scroll down for the recipe at the end of this page.

Similar Tools Used in Making This Rojak

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• T-fal Professional Total Nonstick Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Fry Pan, 8-Inch
• Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set

5 from 1 vote

Rojak – Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad

Rojak, a Malaysian Spicy Fruit Salad with a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. A must try!

Author : Linda Ooi

Course : Dessert, Snack

Cuisine : Malaysian

Keyword : rojak

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Prep Time 20 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings : 4

Calories : 323kcal

Ingredients

6 small deep fried tofu
½ pineapple (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 green mango (peeled and cubed)
1 small jicama (peeled and cubed)
1 small cucumber (cut into bite size pieces)
¼ cup peanuts (toasted and chopped)
1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)

Rojak Sauce

1 tbsp sambal belacan
1 tbsp hoisin sauce or sweet sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp hei ko (sweet black shrimp paste)
2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Fry tofu on a non-stick pan on all sides to crisp it up. Remove and slice thinly when cool enough to handle. Set aside.
Combine all rojak sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon.
Place sliced tofu, pineapple, mango, jicama, and cucumber in a large bowl.
Pour sauce over fruits and vegetables. Mix well.
Dish into 4 individual portions. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts and sesame seeds over each portion.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal

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Rojak – A Mix of Flavors

The chopped roasted peanuts and sesame seeds provide additional texture and crunch. This salad truly is a mix of flavors and textures unlike any other. It is spicy, sweet, salty, tangy, soft, and crunchy. I hope you will give it a try.

Recipe for Sambal Belacan

5 from 1 vote

Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan is a spicy Malaysian condiment.

(Serving size: 1 teaspoon)

Author : Linda Ooi

Course : Side Dish

Cuisine : Malaysian

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings : 15

Calories : 15kcal